Yuki Tsunoda missed out on points for a fourth consecutive time in Silverstone, cementing his toughest patch since joining Red Bull. As he works to rediscover his form, Helmut Marko outlines why he still believes the 24-year-old can turn things around.
Red Bull “optimistic” about Tsunoda, says Marko
When Tsunoda first joined Red Bull, his performances in the RB21 were solid.
It was overly ambitious tyre selection, rather than a lack of pace, that prevented the Japanese driver from making Q3 in Suzuka.
In a race where overtakes where virtually non-existent, Tsunoda missed out on the chance to score points.
At the next round in Bahrain, however, he finished an impressive P9 after making it into Q3.
Given that Verstappen could only manage 7th at the Sakhir circuit, the Japanese driver was adapting well to life at Red Bull.
Arguably Tsunoda’s most promising weekend – ironically – is one where he only completed one lap on Sunday, in Jeddah.
Prior to his lap one incident, however, the #22 car’s qualifying pace was legitimate. Even with a massive error in his final Q3 run, Tsunoda was fast enough to be amongst the other top teams.
However, the last four rounds have been difficult for the 24-year-old.
His qualifying incident in Imola – which ruined his floor and forced him to run an old specification for several races – compromised his momentum in the RB21.
Still, in his Speedweek column, Helmut Marko stressed that Tsunoda is still capable of results:
“Yuki Tsunoda has struggled on some GP weekends, but we already saw an upward trend in England [Silverstone].
“The gap to Max was smaller than before in most of the free practice sessions, and he was able to start from eleventh place on the grid in England.
“We’ve had intensive discussions with Yuki; he also works with sports psychologists.
“Unfortunately, like Max, he had no chance in the race with this [low-downforce] wing.
“But we’re noticing an improvement in performance, and we’re optimistic that this will soon be reflected in the points.”
A chance to reset in Belgium
In many ways, Tsunoda’s abrupt Red Bull arrival was the consequence of the team’s indecisive upper management.
Christian Horner, who was always more doubtful of Tsunoda than Helmut Marko, pushed to promote Lawson at the end of 2024.
This decision, which Red Bull immediately regretted, meant that Tsunoda joined the team in very awkward circumstances.
The RB21, like its predecessors, is a very difficult car to manage.
Without any pre-season testing (especially since Red Bull’s simulator does not accurately replicate the RB21), the 24-year-old’s task was going to be even more difficult.
Verstappen and Tsunoda’s aggressive rear wing usage in Silverstone – which compromised them massively on a wet race day – is evidence of the extreme solutions Red Bull are pursuing.
Thankfully for Tsunoda, his new team principal worked with him before at Racing Bulls.
Laurent Mekies rates the Japanese driver very highly, meaning no driver swaps are expected before the end of 2025.
The next round in Belgium, for many reasons, is a chance for Red Bull to change the narrative.
At a circuit like Spa, which should suit the RB21, the Milton Keynes outfit will look to bounce back and kick-start a new era.
Main photo: Andy Hone/LAT Images (via Red Bull content pool)
